Ah, Paree! Where, twice a year, the world’s style-setters spend their days fussing over the finest fashion, and their nights picking over its finest food and wine. If you’d care to join them, read on for where the fash pack park their Prada.
Models stick their willowy necks out for a table at self-assured sophisticate Girafe, sprawled across the monumental Palais de Chaillot with ceilings as tall as its namesake. Grandstand views of the Eiffel Tower are matched only by the plush 1930s-style decor and Benoît Dargère’s superb seafood-veering plates. The terrasse is a veritable see-and-scene hotspot in summer: dine early for unparalleled sunset vistas, dine late to fall in with the fash pack.
If there’s one thing stylish attire doesn’t desire it’s Michelin Man rolls, which is why veg-driven health nut Clover has been such a hit. The diminutive 20-pax St Germain space, and intimate, dinner-party vibe belie the sophistication of Jean-François Piège’s bold, inventive reimagination of classic bistro fare: gone are the fatty and buttery bases; in their place are organic, sustainable ingredients with just a touch of decadence. Book!
Like the salty clam and tomato juice concoction for which it’s named, oyster bar Clamato is an unusual mix of contrasting elements that somehow work perfectly together. Its raw and minimal decor is juxtaposed with a daily-changing menu of fresh and wholesome, yet refined seafood dishes, executed with the finesse one would expect from chef Bertrand Grébaut, the man behind acclaimed Septime.
Its primo perch on the Avenue Montaigne, complete with pap snap-ready terrace, has made L’Avenue the favourite mid-spree pitstop of celeb royalty like Bey and Kimye. While the food may not rock your world, the ambiance out front on a sunny day is like nowhere else in Paris.
Mr Lauren’s dandy paean to Ameri-fare (think elevated crab cakes and cheeseburgers), Ralph’s is an even hotter table to score on a sunny summer’s day. Fight for a spot in the sumptuous courtyard, or come winter, a fireside leather-bound perch in the exclusive clubby bar.
Hero Image: Le Girafe, Paris
For more insider’s shopping tips in Paris..640
Le Girafe / 1 pl du Trocadéro / +33 1 40 62 70 61 / lunch & dinner daily / girafeparis.com
Clover / 5 rue Perronet, 7th / +33 1 75 50 00 05 / lunch & dinner Tue-Sat / clover-paris.com
Clamato / 80 rue de Charonne, 11th / +33 1 43 72 74 53 / lunch Sat-Sun, dinner Wed-Sun / no res / clamato-charonne.fr
L’Avenue / 41 Avenue Montaigne, 8th / +33 1 40 70 14 91 / 8am-2am daily / avenue-restaurant.com
Ralph’s / 173 blvd St-Germain, 6th / +33 1 44 77 76 00 / lunch & dinner daily / ralphlauren.fr
